Office spaces are often configured to include cubicles and other types of workstations defined by partition walls. Non-load bearing partition systems are typically constructed of metal framing with a substrate of core material, such as fiberboard, and a covering, such as a fabric material. Connector systems for these partition panels typically include a straight connector for joining two panels along a single plane and a right angle bracket for joining two panels at a right angle relative to each other.
Blow-molded products have many attractive features, such as, reasonable part price, low tooling costs, and fast product development, for example. In addition, a blow-molded product can be designed to have molded-in structural integrity.
Designing a double-walled, extrusion blow-molded product can include various challenges. For example, one obstacle confronted by the designer is to achieve a design that yields a flat product such as a panel or shelving. The traditional technique to produce a flat panel is to use “tip-to-tip” spot welding wherein welded elements, known as “weld cones,” meet near the parting plane and weld together to provide a spot weld. Such a welding arrangement does little to prevent the side walls of the panel from buckling. The situation can be worsened in situations where the parting line is asymmetrically defined or where material is distributed unevenly between cavity and core sides. Consequently, panels so constructed can tend to curve like a banana even when the head tool has been carefully profiled.
The present invention is directed toward providing a partition system with a blow-molded, flat panel that is economically produced.